


downfalls.

by eoghainy



Category: Elder Scrolls
Genre: Angst Crew, F/F, F/M, Is not going to end well I can tell you that much, M/M, Mostly main quest centric, Original Character Work, Skyrim - Freeform, the elder scrolls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2017-01-25
Packaged: 2018-09-19 23:03:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9464447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eoghainy/pseuds/eoghainy
Summary: one lonesome warrior cannot take on Tamriel's greatest enemy alone. although there are friends, family, companions for hire — in the end, the hero finds whom truly is on their side.





	

**Author's Note:**

> idk what this is but yikes i love my tes babies & i just wanted to write for them, so, this kinda happened. slow chapter updates will definitely be a constant, considering how long it took me to finish the first one. but — please let me know if you enjoyed it !

A screech ripped from the mouth of a Khajiit as she narrowly dodged a falling club, losing her balance when it came down inches from her tail. A second one, this time filled with fear, escaped a parted maw whilst she crawled helplessly backwards, unable to bring herself to her feet. She had never faced a giant on her own before; how was she going to be able to escape this time? 

“Stay right there, _Kitty-Cat_ ,” a second voice hissed as a dagger tore through the calf of the giant, pulling a mighty roar from its lips. Purplish hands clamped over pointed ears, eyes screwing shut as the sound vibrated against the Dunmer’s eardrums. She was a tiny one, but the noise the giant was making seemed to hurt her more than she seemed to want to admit.  

The Khajiit popped back up to her feet, her bow in hand whilst the other notched an arrow. As she let the arrow fly, it lodged itself within the giants cheek, causing the mighty creature to shriek. Even though the sound was louder the she could bear, Darr’Me launched another into its shoulder, rolling against the rocky ground as it clumsily lunged at her. It made another awful sound, and this time Darr’Me collapsed; her ears flat to her skull. She had never heard anything this loud before; how did the natives of Skyrim bear it?

“Are you okay?” The Dunmer cried, and she threw her hand out to Darr’Me. Hesitantly, the Khajiit grabbed it and let the Dunmer haul her out of the way. The club came down where she was only a heartbeat after she had moved, and the Khajiit wondered just _how_ they were going to escape. 

“I’m Honora,” the Dunmer yelled above the racket. “Glad to meet you!”

“Well met,” Darr’Me gasped back. “This one is called Darr’Me.”The Khajiit offers out her hand to the Dunmer, immediately regretting it once she saw the expression on the others face. The Dunmer obviously didn’t care for her, and was only helping her because she had no other choice. How did Darr’Me make friends with someone like _that_? 

“Move,” Honora stated flatly, and Darr’Me instinctively rolled; moving out of the way of the club. Disturbed air made the tips of her ears twitch, and Darr’Me couldn’t help how she flinched; aware that the club could have swiped her head clean off if she hadn’t listened to the Dunmer’s warning. 

“You two need some help?!” A voice yowled, and a new fighter joined their little rag-tag team. This time it was an Orc; her greenish skin donned with sweat. Her dark eyes were gleaming with the light of the battle.

“I don’t need _your_ help,” Honora spat at this new comer, and Darr’Me flinched. Was that . . .  _hatred_ in the Dunmer’s voice?

“Don’t listen to her,” the Orc yelped. She pulled her great sword from its sheath, and pulled it through the abdomen of the giant, shrieking as she ripped away from its falling body. “ _No_! That was my _favorite_ sword, and this shitstick has it stuck in him!” Disgusted, she kicked its corpse, wincing as it groaned. 

“Who is this one?” Darr’Me asked curiously. 

“ _This one_ is Keyla the Quiet,” Honora snorted, tossing her silver dagger up and catching it by the hilt. “She’s a half-Orc; an outcast.” 

“Why is that one an outcast?” She still ignored the venom leaking through the Dunmer’s voice, and the way she subtly mocked her. Already she got the sense that Honora was a bitter person, but a part of Darr’Me was attracted to that; intrigued by such a thing. 

Keyla the Quiet tossed a look over at Honora, amused as she watched the Dunmer drive the blade of the dagger down into the giants eye. It gave a mixture of a snarl and a gasp, and then it fell still. “I’m an outcast because I’m half-Orc, and half-Dunmer. My mother was a Dunmer, my father an Orc. Because Honora is a Dunmer, _full-blooded_ , she doesn’t think I’m worthy of being alive.” She gave a good-natured eye-roll at Honora, whom snorted. 

Honora was silent. Her glowing ruby hues were pinpointed on Darr’Me, looking oddly stark in her mixture of gray-and-purple face. Her long, dark hair was twisted into a messy braid, and her had flecked of flesh lodged in its strands. Blood mixed with her scarlet warpaint, and the lithe Dunmer looked absolutely disgusted. 

“To be fair,” she said quietly, “I don’t like anyone whom isn’t a Dunmer.”

“Not even this one?” Darr’Me teased, aware that this was a forward choice of words.

“You I kinda like; you seem to have a knack for taking care of yourself. That one?” Honora jerked her thumb at Keyla as she cleaned off her blade. “That one gets caught up in all the shit.” 

“That one seems a bit . . . off.” Darr’Me stated, her ears twitching as she examined Keyla. “Power; this one has power?”

Keyla looked amused. The half-Orc was beautiful; her dark hair was thrown up into a careless bun on the top of her head, with two sticks woven in to keep the strands in place. Her green-hued skin was mostly covered by heavy armor, and she had various weapons stashed along her body. Her eyes were the brightest cyan that Darr’Me had ever seen, and they seemed to glow abnormally within her head. Her mouth, albeit, didn’t seem to stick out like most Orc’s did; teeth did come up from between her lips, and her mouth was parted slightly, but she seemed normal. If her skin weren’t so green, Keyla could pass for a Nord. Especially if no one was looking too closely at her. 

It took Darr’Me a moment to see her war paint. The half-Orc had a very subtle shade of pink on; highlighting her eyes, and the middle of her lips. She didn’t seem to want to draw attention to herself with it; not like with Honora’s. Honora had three cat-like claws down her left eye, painted on as a stark scarlet.

“Dragonborn,” Keyla corrected. “I am _the_ Dragonborn.”

Honora _laughed_ then. “Only Nord’s can be Dragonborn, fool!”

“Would you like to feel the force of my Thu’um?” Keyla spat, officially looking enraged. “I take a lot of bullshit from you, but not about this. I won’t be taking _anything_ from you about this, Honora.” The Dragonborn was glaring at the Dunmer girl, her face contorted into an angered expression.

“This one thinks that you both should stop fighting,” Darr’Me growled. Her claws slid out, and she furled them into palms, ready to box one of their ears. “Stop fighting! No need to argue over power. This one was born with Dragon Blood; it was not stolen.” 

Honora shot Darr’Me a nasty glare. “What would you know of Skyrim’s culture,” she sneered.

“More than you,” Darr’Me shot back, being cut off by Keyla.

“ _Both_ of you, shut up! Or rather, all of us!” The half-Orc looked frustrated. “I came over here to help, not be chastised by two foreigners.” 

“Was that an insult?” Honora inquired, her voice a silky, venomous purr. “I didn’t grow up here, and neither did _that one_ ,” she mocked Darr’Me again, and this time, the Khajiit _did_ flinch, “but you did. Are you on Ulfric’s side then?”

Keyla narrowed her eyes. “I take no part in the Nord’s stupid war,” she growled. “I don’t care for the Imperial’s _or_ the Stormcloak’s, so you can take your political shit right on out of here.” The warrior made a disgusted noise as she kicked the giant, holding it up on its side long enough to get a good look at her sword. “I can’t believe I ruined that. Luliander gave that to me!”

“This one can help you get it out?” Darr’Me offered, pointedly ignoring the venomous look Honora shot her. 

Keyla immediately brightened up. “Oh, that would be _great_!” She cried. “Here, you lift it’s ugly body and I’ll pull my sword out.” 

Placing her hands were Keyla directed her, Darr’Me gripped the giant with all of her strength, straining as she peeled its body off of the ground. Once or twice she lost her grip, and had to find it all over again, but Keyla was patient. She told Darr’Me to stop and stay completely still once she had been able to get a firm grip on her sword. 

The sword was really in there; Keyla was grunting as she placed her foot on the giants chest, _pulling_ with all of her strength to get it out. Darr’Me’s muscles were screeching in protest, but she still held the body up; watching as the blade began to give way. With another tug, Keyla stumbled over herself and fell back; carefully avoiding spearing herself with her own sword.

“Ho!” Keyla righted herself as she tossed her sword up, twisting it so she could clean gunk off of the hilt. “This is mighty disgusting,” she groaned. “Thank you, Darr’Me!” 

“This one is welcome,” Darr’Me murmured, ignoring the snort that came from Honora. 

There was a curious expression in Keyla’s eyes, and Darr’Me hesitated, wondering if she should say something. Before she could, Keyla looked away, and Darr’Me’s heart came to sink. She didn’t know why, but she liked this half-Orc already. Keyla looked friendly, and she seemed as if she would be a good ally later on in battle. She would like to be friends with her.

Honora? Not so much.

“Listen, Darr’Me,” Keyla began. “Being Dragonborn means—well, it means that I’ve got a long journey ahead of me. Like, über long,” the half-Orc joked. “And I don’t want to do it alone. We don’t even know each other, I know that, but I wanted to extend you a spot with me. We’ll be traveling all through Skyrim, and we’ll be exploring all the old crypts, ruins, almost _everywhere_.” Excitement glowed within her bright hues. “Would you like to come with? I’d need another sword.” 

Darr’Me stared at Keyla, unspeaking. She didn’t know what to say; with all of her experiences, and all of what she’s heard, she didn’t know if she trusted the offer. She trusted _Keyla_ , but not the offer. 

“If she goes, I’m going,” Honora popped up. Darr’Me had almost forgotten she was there. “You’ll need a thief; _eventually_ ,” the Dunmer hummed. Though Keyla looked annoyed, Honora didn’t let Keyla make a comment. “We’re a package deal, us foreigners,” Honora slung a arm around Darr’Me’s neck, and the Khajiit lashed her tail. Was the Dunmer willfully being a bitch? 

“So you’re a package deal?” Keyla asked, and amusement glimmered inside of her eyes. “Fine.” She waved a hand in dismissal. “It takes some time for a decision like this to be made, so, meet me at the _Bannered Mare_ in Whiterun in two days. I’ve two others that I have that might want to join, so, think it over!” The half-Orc sheathed her sword, waved a goodbye and was gone. 

As soon as Keyla was out of earshot, Honora turned to Darr’Me, an eyebrow quirked. “So, what do you think, _Kitty-Cat_?” Hands were settled on her hips, and she had an inviting look on her features. “How about we go with her?”

“ _We_?” Darr’Me immediately snapped back, and she saw genuine surprise appear in Honora’s expression. “This one will be going. That one,” she pointed at Honora, “will stay behind.”

“No, I’m going to go with you. I need some _excitement_ in my life,” Honora purred. Darr’Me found it hard to tell her _no_ ; the Dunmer was just so _convincing_. “I want to go. I don’t like Keyla, and I don’t believe in this whole _Dragonborn_ horse shit, but I want to spend some time with you. You’ve interested me.” 

Hands moved to touch her tail, and Darr’Me shuddered; the fur along the base of her tail bristling. She wasn’t used to such brazen contact; she would prefer that Honora would stop touching her, but she was determined to let the Dunmer do her thorough search. Darr’Me held still as Honora touched her ears, her whiskers, and her tail again; knowing that she would only upset the Dunmer if she were to move away. 

“I’m definitely going with you.” Honora decided. “You’re too skinny to go alone. Nice archery skills, but, you’ve no muscle.” She poked at Darr’Me’s armor-clad arm, and Darr’Me had to fight back the urge to curl her lip.

“It will be a long journey, dangerous, too.” Darr’Me warned. Keyla and Honora were going to argue literally all the damn time, and Darr’Me didn’t want to put up with that. She didn’t want to listen to Honora and Keyla bicker every single moment of the day over stupid ass things. Was that fair to her? No! “That one will have to be civil with the other one.”

Honora looked annoyed, but didn’t look as if she was going to say much else.

“Can you get along with that one?” Darr’Me asked again, her orange gaze flat. “ _Can you_?”

The Dunmer bared her teeth. “I can _try_. She’s a disgrace to my kind! She has been since the day I met her.”

“Which was when?” She asked patiently, an odd sense of affection rushing over her. She liked this Dunmer already! “This one is all ears.” 

The thief stretched her arms, looking uncomfortable. “Windhelm. We were both coming home from Solstheim; well, I wasn’t coming home. I was fleeing.” Honora looked uncomfortable. “Solstheim wasn’t home for me anymore; not like it once had been. Keyla was visiting, I think? Or doing something like that. Regardless, I met up with her in Solstheim. I was trying to steal something from her, and she ended up trying to break my arm. I put her on her ass—and after that? Well, I think the story speaks for itself. We never became close.” 

That hardly cleared anything up, in Darr’Me’s opinion. She didn’t figure that she would get anything else out of the stubborn Dunmer, albeit. This was just going to have to take time; eventually, Honora would open up. 

“Fine, then.” Twitching her tail restlessly, Darr’Me headed off in the direction of Whiterun. She was aware of Honora trailing sullenly behind her, but didn’t bother to engage in conversation again. Honora was determined to be an awful companion, and Darr’Me, although impossibly intrigued by her, was not going to be sucked into it. She had travelled in silence before; it would do her no harm to travel in it again. 

_To get these two to get along, this one is going to have to try some serious therapy._

Darr’Me touched a hand to her forehead, stifling a groan. Her body felt bruised and battered from her encounter with the giant, and all she wanted to do was find an inn, pay for a bed and rest. That wouldn’t be happening until they got to Whiterun. By her own estimations, they might be able to get there before the next sunrise. If they stuck to the roads and didn’t stop, at least. 

“Stop, _Kitty-Cat_ , you’re limping.” A trace of concern was in Honora’s voice. “You need rest.”

“This one can go on for a few more hours, yet. Until dusk.” Darr’Me argued. “No need to stop.”

“If you keep walking on that leg, you can end up seriously damaging it. Here, sit here.” The Dunmer gestured to a tree stump, and Darr’Me warily sat down on it, curling her tail across her lap. 

Honora opened the pack at her waist, pulling out a small shell container. It looked like a shell that belonged to a nut, and Darr’Me was surprised when Honora opened it. She pulled the top half of it off, revealing a pungent salve that she had stored inside. It was green, and Darr’Me wasn’t sure she wanted that on her fur. The Dunmer seemed to guess Darr’Me’s thoughts, for an amused smile crept across her lips. 

“Don’t worry,” Honora dipped her fingers into the green substance, and Darr’Me looked away, her nose twitching. “I made this myself. The pain is mostly here, right” She touched a part of Darr’Me’s thigh, and when the Khajiit nodded, she started applying the salve. “It’s a healing balm; I carry it on me at all times just in case something goes a miss. I know it smells disgusting, but rest here for a moment and make sure that it doesn’t rub off. What you have is a ligament injury; it’ll feel better soon, and then later when we’re in Whiterun, I can access the damage again.”

“How does this one know so much of healing?” Darr’Me asked, leaning back on the stump. Her fur felt sticky and disgusting, and she wanted to wipe the salve off, but she fought the urge. 

“I learned a lot of it when I was in Solstheim; I was going to be an alchemist, before I decided that the life of a thief was better suited for me.” Honora shrugged. “My alchemy skills are still top-notch; I don’t trust anything that I pick up anymore. I gather ingredients myself, and then I make everything else myself.” She was putting the balm back into her bag, a frown gracing her lips. “I’ll have to stop and make more before we go on this trip,” she muttered. “My supplies are truly running lower than I thought.” 

For a long while, they sat in silence. Honora was rooting through her bag, sorting out all of her supplies, and Darr’Me looking up at the darkening sky. Dusk was gathering, and the colors that burst across the darkness was even more breathtaking than she could ever describe. The mixtures of blues, purples, and pinks that stretched across the atmosphere was different than what she was used to. Back home, thick jungle branches covered the sky, so she need truly got to see beyond the interwoven branches. 

“It’s really something, isn’t it?” Honora murmured. “For a land plagued by war, it has the most beautiful sky I’ve ever seen.” 

“Back home, this one hardly got to view the sky.” Darr’Me said slowly. “Canopy of leaves and branches blocks the sun; only hints of glowing been could be seen. Unless one would travel, they would fail to see the sun in their lifetime.” 

Honora nodded. “Back home, in Morrowind, the sun hardly shone. Something happened; something _odd_ happened. When I was young, I could see the sky. I could _see_ the sun and the clouds; the stars at night, and the other moons and planets. They soon disappeared, and I don’t know why. I was not there when things went wrong, my mother had taken me to the Summerset Isles. But when we returned . . . Then again, at least, it doesn’t really have to do with me, does it?” 

“What does this one mean?”

“It has to do with the _Dragonborn;_ Keyla.” Honora’s voice held a bitter tone to it. “You will have to ask her.” 

Both lapsed into silence again. Darr’me didn’t know what to say; Honora harbored so many bitter emotions towards the Dragonborn. It was going to be a rough trip. But, maybe if Darr’Me was smart enough, she might be able to bring the two of them together. Hopefully. _Possibly_. 

“Come on,” Darr’Me eventually said, her tail twitching. Her leg didn’t ache anymore, so she was sure that they could make it to Whiterun by dawn, at the earliest. 

Together, Darr’Me setting a brisk pace, Honora and the young Khajiit managed to get to Riverwood. Exhausted, battered, and starving, they ended up curling underneath a rocky overhang and catching a few hours of sleep. They were awoken by a guard who shooed them away, saying that they couldn’t sleep out in the open like this. So they took that as a sign that they should push through the final stretch. With Darr’Me leaning heavily on Honora during the time of them crossing through the gate. 

They ended up buying beds at the _Bannered Mare_ , and asking the innkeeper to wake them at dusk. Honora made sure that Darr’Me had another dose of the salve, and then they both crashed; hard. 

The innkeeper did stick to her word, and woke Darr’Me and Honara at dusk. Both of them were so hungry that they hardly managed to stumble down the stairs and place and order for the first thing they saw on the menu. Starving, they ended up devouring their meals and burning the roof of their mouths, before _really_ taking in their surroundings. 

In one of the corners, there was a young bard. Her dark curls were tied back into a loose-side ponytail, and she strummed confidently on a lute, not yet singing. She was mouthing words, and though Darr’Me was curious what she would end up singing, she did not try to figure out what words she mouthing. She was tiny; hardly a teenager, and yet, here she sat in an inn, playing for money. Darr’Me almost felt compelled to go over and drop a few coins in her tin.

There was another girl sitting nearby. Darr’Me’s nose was twitching; even though there was a confusing jumble of scents in here, she could catch the brief scent of dog. From the way the young adult was looking around, and the way her gaze was darting all around the room, Darr’Me wondered if she was in the Companions. 

Her orange gaze traveled to a cluster of drunk men sitting in the corner, and then to a mercenary looking woman sitting alone, by the fire. Though Darr’Me knew that they were early, that didn’t stop a portion of her from wishing that Keyla was there. She didn’t like the confines of the inn, and all of the noise seemed to echo against her eardrums. One hand moved to clamp over her ear, trying to block out some of the noise flow. 

Honora seemed to be feeling the same way, for she and Darr’Me shared a long glance. There was too much going on; the inn was too busy, and there were more people than Darr’Me had ever seen before. Ranging from Dunmer; Bosmer; Altmer; Argonian; and of course, Nord’s. A majority of the contenders were Nord’s; she only saw one Argonian, and four Elves. She was the only Khajiit in this place, she figured. 

“Excuse me, are you Darr’Me Salbes and Honora Farylo?” The bard from before had wandered up, her azure hues bright as they lingered upon the both of them. When Honora and Darr’Me looked confused, the girl that _wasn’t_ a child spoke on. “My name is Trestifer,” she purred. “I’m a bard from Windhelm. Keyla the Quiet found me; asked me to travel with her to find some contenders for her journey. She also told me to keep an eye out for an exhausted Khajiit, and a hostile Dunmer.” A slow smile crept across Trestifer’s face. “You came early. Follow me; I’ll take you both to her.”

“Wait a moment,” Honora warned. “I’m not too trusting of this.” 

“She told me that you were stingy,” Trestifer commented dryly, but gestured for Honora to elaborate. 

“You just come up out of nowhere, asking for us to follow you? Give us some key as to why we should trust you, and why we should believe you are a friend of that _abomination_?” Honora stated tersely, and winced when Darr’Me nudged her in the ribs. “ _Dragonborn,_ sorry.”

Trestifer snorted. “I am a very close friend of Keyla’s. I know she helped you guys with a giant, and you’re as crude as Varkas.” When Honora looked confused, the bard elaborated. “A Companion. He’s exactly like you. Now are you going to join Keyla with her journey or not?” Her hands were on her hips, eyes narrowed, annoyance glimmering in her pretty eyes. 

Darr’Me frowned, sharing a look with Honora. “This one . . . will go with you.” The Khajiit rose to her feet, stretching her sore limbs. “Coming?” She looked at Honora, gaze glimmering. 

The Dunmer looked annoyed, but she also got to her feet. She strapped her dagger to her thigh, and adjusted her bow, keeping eye contact with the young bard. “Well? Take us to her.” 

Leaving coin on the bar for the innkeeper, Honora and Darr’Me followed Trestifer back out onto the dark streets of Whiterun. Darr’Me’s eyes instinctively adjusted to the dusk, and she followed after the bard with confidence. Honora was cursing as she tread on objects, and grabbing Darr’Me’s hand every time she almost lost her balance. 

“Shor’s bones, are we leaving the city?” Honora muttered. 

“No, just follow.” Trestifer purred, amused. She led the way up to the Jarl’s house, and then veered sharply to the left, where there were little spurts of flame on the grass, illuminating the way. Darr’Me’s ear twitched as she caught wind of the sounds of drunk laughter, but it didn’t seem to bother Honora or Trestifer outwardly. But Darr’Me could see that Honora was getting increasingly nervous. The Dunmer jumped at any little noise, moving closer and closer to Darr’Me every so often. 

Did the Dunmer not like the dark? 

That thought was brushed away as her gaze focused upon Keyla. The half-Orc was conversing with someone — someone who smelled like _dog_ — but stopped as soon as she saw Trestifer. It only took her a moment to slide something to the other person, and head back towards the three.

“Here, this should be enough to get you to Windhelm,” Keyla passed Trestifer a coin purse, and the young bard bowed. 

“Come and find me next time you’re in Windhelm,” she slipped the pouch into her pocket. “I mean it, my friend. I know you’ll be heading there eventually.”

“ _Eventually_ , is the key word.” Kelya smiled sadly. “You do know how to protect yourself against the Butcher, don’t you?”

 _The Butcher_? Darr’Me shot a sharp look at Honora, but the Dunmer wasn’t looking at her. 

Trestifer, on the other hand, slid a dagger out of her sleeve. The blade reflected the moonlight. “I can handle myself. You don’t need to worry about me,” the girl slipped back towards the way she came. “I can handle myself; I’ll be _fine_.” Within a few moments, she disappeared into the darkness.

Keyla had her hands on her hips, gaze glimmering with concern. “She’ll be fine,” she muttered, more to herself than to the duo standing before her. Within a moment she was perked up again, albeit, her gaze alight with excitement. “We’ll set off for Riverwood now.” 

“You didn’t explain anything to us,” Honora intervened sharply. “Why Riverwood? There’s nothing there.”

“Well, after Helgen was attacked,” Kelya stretched as she spoke, “which I wasn’t there for thankfully, I had arrived in Riverwood. I had been heading to Whiterun, and one of the locals asked me to take a message to the Jarl here. He saw something in me, and asked me to go to Bleak Falls Barrow on an errand for his court wizard. The Barrow is right above Riverwood, in a sense. If we push to Riverwood tonight, we can spend the night in the inn, stock up on supplies, and then take our leave for Bleak Falls Barrow when we’re ready. I presume we’re going to be spending a couple of days in there.” The half-Orc was practically glowing with excitement. “We’re looking for something called the _Dragon Stone_. It’ll make sense when we get there.”

Honora looked suspicious. “You want us to go with you into a place thats renown for it’s constant stream of bandits and undead?” 

“Not up for the challenge?” Kelya shot back. “I don’t mind leaving you in the inn when we go.”

“No, no, I’m going.” Honora sniffed. “Just have to stock up on some herbs before we go.” 

“That’s more like it,” Keyla looked satisfied. “Great! We go now. You good, Darr’Me?”

The Khajiit turned to Keyla, a giant smile pulling up her lips. “This one has never been better.”


End file.
